One of the most fascinating experiences I’ve had living abroad has been attending different weddings. It’s always so interesting attending weddings in different countries and seeing how similar and different they are.
When I lived in Korea, I was surprised by how quick weddings were. Usually the weddings I’ve been to in the States were pretty much a whole day affair. In Korea, you can be in and out of a wedding in 1 to 2 hours max. I remember attending my cousin’s wedding that was in a big Catholic church with hundreds of people, and my relatives told me it was ok to each the buffet lunch during the ceremony…
I was shocked. Not only was this a family member of mine getting married, but actually not going into the ceremony seemed blasphemous. It was a huge church so it’s true that no one would notice, but it just seemed wrong. However, when we went to eat lunch, we found out that we were not the only ones doing that. We did make it back inside the sanctuary for the end of the ceremony. And then stayed around to take photos afterwards.
It was quite interesting how many of the wedding halls that many weddings took place in Korea would have multiple weddings booked throughout the day. So pretty much guests are in and out very quickly. The reception was usually just eating the meal.
When I came to Singapore, I have been able to attend a few different types of weddings ranging from ones in a Hindu temple, banquet halls, and in churches. I was surprised that during the church wedding, the bride and groom and bridal party would sit during the ceremony when the pastor would give his short sermon.
In the church weddings I went to in America, the bridal party and the bride and groom would all stand. I totally see the logic in that, but I’d never seen that happen in a church wedding in America before. Also, I was surprised that many of the weddings in Singapore would have time in between the church ceremony and reception. People would go home and change, and come back out in the evening for the dinner reception.
I’m not trying to say one way is right or wrong, but I always find it fascinating to see the different customs and traditions of weddings in different countries. And yes, I was just at a wedding this Saturday, hence this blog post…
What are some fascinating weddings customs/traditions you have seen?
teach to inspire 
Yes! This is a great share. My fiancé also lived in Korea (Daegu) and told me stories about the weddings there. He was actually surprised as we started to plan our wedding that the cost will significantly increase 😛 I also love learning about traditions and customs in other cultures. I live in Colombia now, and haven’t attended a wedding yet. I’d be curious to hear what might be different. It’s especially interesting as we do plan our wedding, to think: which traditions will we use or not?
In our travels, we often see wedding parties taking pictures. But what seems odd to me is the time of day and the day of the week. Most weddings happen over a weekend here, but not in Scotland, Vietnam, or Belguim. It could get tricky to understand the customs and protocols for the different religions.
Just goes to show that anything is fine at a wedding. A wedding I went to once had no seating assignments for the reception. In fact there weren’t even enough spots or chairs for all the guests. Looking back at it, it was fun but in the moment it was a bit stressful.
So interesting! This international life is pretty great, isn’t it? I have been to many different weddings and am always fascinated at the differences. (The similarities give me a chance to pause and take a breath!) The segregations of women and men or the jewelry lavishly presented to the bride to be or the engagement that is legally binding. More often then not it is the reception that we are invited to as the ceremony itself is only the bride, groom, one or two family members, and the person presiding over the proceedings.